1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information equipment shared by a plurality of users and a method for supporting the operation of the information equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multifunction devices are one example of information equipment that is used for business purposes and called Office Automation (OA) equipment. Such multifunction devices have recently been known as Multi-Function Peripherals (MFPs) having a variety of functions, such as copying, printing, image inputting, fax communication, electronic mail communication, and document data storage. Such a multifunction device is connected to an intranet, and operates in response to input operation through an operational panel provided in the multifunction device or in response to access from a computer connected to the intranet.
Such multifunction devices generally have a security function for user authentication. A typical authentication method involves comparing a user ID and a password entered by a user to use a multifunction device with a user ID and a password registered in advance. If there is a match therebetween, then the user is successfully authenticated. If the authentication fails, the use of the multifunction device by the user is partly or entirely limited.
A password can be set also for a memory area called a box to save document data therein (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-085179). A user of a box enters a set password, and thereby, is allowed to access the box. The user can read out data from the box and store data therein. A part of the memory area of a storage device such as a hard disk drive is allocated for the box. Examples of the box are a personal box exclusively used by one user and a shared box mutually used by a plurality of users.
Multifunction devices having a plurality of security modes are configured to raise or lower the security level thereof depending on the environment for the use thereof and the operational situation thereof. In general, if the security level of a multifunction device is enhanced, the operation thereof becomes complicated. For example, if the security level is raised, a user is required to enter a password having a digit greater than that of a password used before raising the security level. In view of this, it may be conceived that the multifunction device is used in such a manner that the security level thereof is not enhanced usually, and the security mode is appropriately turned into a security enhanced mode, for example, only when the multifunction device is temporarily shared by users belonging to other sections.
There is proposed a conventional technique for switching between security modes of an image forming apparatus (Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-294572). According to the technique, if the image forming apparatus stores a confidential job therein at a time when the security mode is turned into a mode for reducing the security level, the image forming apparatus issues a warning and displays information for prompting a user to delete the confidential job, or deletes the confidential job. The technique prevents an undesirable situation in which a person other than the user can easily access the confidential job.
In the case where information equipment is shared by a plurality of users, in general, an administrator is appointed and the administrator operates the information equipment to perform operation for switching between security modes thereof. Suppose that a plurality of users already use the information equipment on a daily basis, and the administrator turns, without prior notice, the security mode thereof into a mode to raise the security level. In such a case, there is a high possibility that a user who has registered a password not meeting password regulations corresponding to the raised security level cannot access the information equipment itself or a box stored therein. In order to avoid this, the administrator usually sends a notice to users in advance to request them to change their passwords for authentication.
Some of the users may, however, forget to change their passwords. If a user forgets to change his/her password, or a user is not aware of the notice from the administrator, it may turn out that such a user does not respond to the request from the administrator. In order to prevent such a situation from occurring, the administrator is required to check whether or not raising the security level affects access by all the users, which is a great burden to the administrator.